The CBS new Residential Bonds Online (RBO) system is now live. Access the portal at cbs.sa.gov.au/RBOportal
The bond should be returned to the tenant or resident at the end of the lease if there are no claims by the landlord or proprietor for cleaning, outstanding rent or other costs. Bond guarantees will be returned to SA Housing Trust – the tenant or resident will need to pay back SA Housing Trust for any bond claimed.
Related information
Requesting a refund
All tenants who have contributed to the bond and the managing party - eg the landlord, real estate agent or organisation managing the rental property - must agree on the refund amount before any money can be released by CBS.
Once an agreement has been reached, either party can lodge a refund request through their RBO account. CBS will then release the funds as agreed, either via direct bank transfer or cheque in the post if no bank account details are listed.
Difficulty reaching an agreement
If an agreement can't be reached about the amount each party should receive from the bond, it is in dispute.
Unclaimed bond money
In some cases, the managing party may agree to refund all or part of the bond money to the tenant, but the tenant does not receive the funds from CBS due to incorrect payment bank account or contact details. When this happens, the money is said to be unclaimed.
For money that has not been claimed within 90 days, the tenant can login to RBO and start the refund process. For money that has not been refunded for longer than 90 days, a separate process is required to process the payment.
Visit the Unclaimed Bonds webpage for more information, or to check if you have any unclaimed bond money, head to the CBS Bond Status Search.
Need an RBO account?
You can set one up quickly and easily to start the refund process.
For people who are unable to set up an RBO account, forms are available to process your bond refund. Please note that refunds processed via forms will take longer than refunds processed in RBO.
